Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-11
SCHOOL MATTERS.
The Journal Man Visits the Office of tho
State Superintendent.
Has Supervisor the Right to Teach in
His Own Town.

"How is the town or unit school system
progressine?" asked the Journal reporter re-
Gently of Hon. ]. N. Wadsworth the efficient
assistant in the State Superintendent of
Schools office.
Every well indeed. The system lie gain.
ing ground decidedly. 1t is nov in use in
ninety eight towns in the State. During the
past year it has been adopted at Augusta,
Skowhegan, Bowdoinham, Madison, Bethel.
Phillips, Foxcroft, Mt. Vernon, Salem, Dur.
ham, Blanchard and Bradley. The new
system is undoubtedly destined to come into
general USE"
"What are its advantages over the old
district system?"
"a great many. In the first place it pre-
vents waste. Where districts are very
small, under the old system the terms of
school are short and the teachers being poorly
paid are not generally up to the standard.
By the new system such districts are com.
bined and the result is longer terms and
better teachers"
"NAN'e oaSu Ue tueCIeu
under the old system?"
"They could, but they rarely ever were
The local differences and pride of adjoining
districts often served to keep them apart
when the best men in each would acknowl-
edge that their best interests demanded a
union. number Of cases have come to our
notice where districts, which owing to local
differences could never unite of their own
accord, when brought together under the new
system, accepted the change cheerfullv, and
acknowledged the additional benefits which
it brought to them"
"Have you been called upon often to med
late in these district quarrelsr'
eyes, very frequently, and by giving them
legal advice on the matters Involved, have
saved the districts large amount of litiga-
ton. 1t was for this purpose that we pub
lished in 1885 q pamphlet containing the law $
relating to public schools There are twenty
six pages of decisions in this pamphlet, and
tanned in them relates to questions of litiga-
ton between school districts"
"What is the general character of the
questions submitted to your Officer"
''Well they are quite varied. One of the
most frequent inquiries is whether super
visor of schools has any legal.right to teach
~ his own town"
"What answer do you make to that?"
THAT he will do so at his own risk. 1t is
question which has never been carried up
to the supreme court in this State, and hence
there lie no court precedent against it. 1t is
undoubtedly illegal however, and has been
so decided by the higher courts in other
states where the question has come up"
"On what grounds would it be illegal?"
swell in the first place the law provides
that no man shall teach without a certificate
from the experimenting school committee or
from the supervisor of schools In case any
one does teach without a certificate he will
be forced by law to forfeit not only his wages
but an amount additional equal to his wages
that is if anyone should take the trouble to
prosecute him"
"And supervisors are not supposed to GER
tifcate themselves"
"No, this would be manifest sbsurdity in
the law.
"Wbat other objection is there?"
"Well, in case any difficulty arises in a
school the supervisor is the only power au-
thorized to settle it. If, however, he is the
teacher, he at once becomes the Judge of his
own case which is manifest absurdity in
the law"
"There is no legal way then for super
visor to teach in his own town."
None, and retain his office, He must
either resign and permit the selectmen to ap-
point successor or forego the school"
"But supervisors do teach in their own
towns do they not?"
yes, but they do so at their own risk. Ii
any quarrel should arise they would be liable
to the penalty | have named"
How would it be in towns where there is
no supervisor but where the duties of this
office devolve upon experimenting school
committed"
"In that case any member of the committee
could teach on a certificate furnished by the
other two"
Chow many towns have you received re-
turns from thus far?"
"From 493 towns containing 4,750 different
schools"
"How does the population of experienced
teachers compare with the number who have
had no previous experience"
"Well we have fewer inexperienced teach
ers now than ever before. The returns show
that of the 1886 teachers reported 6 Ala of
them have bad previous experience"
"How are the Normal schools doing?"
First rate There never was time when
their work was so satisfactory as it is now.
They are furnishing some skillful teachers to
the state and are doing a good work.
CDnvanttan